So, here's the next chapter. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews, keep them coming, because they really motivate me to write.
Again, thanks Kat (Lyrander215) for beta. :)
...
Tony and Ziva exchanged perplexed looks.
"Well, it's kinda apocalyptic here at the moment, Tim. If we're lucky, we can be in DC tomorrow evening."
"Make it afternoon, it looks like we might be in trouble."
"Why? We did not do anything," Ziva frowned.
"We resigned," Tony sighed, as he realized what was going on. "We resigned to cover for our boss, who was being investigated by Parsons."
"They think we killed him? That is preposterous!" Ziva jumped to her feet. All the romance was suddenly gone. She realized she was angry not because someone was accusing her of murder (she was quite used to that), but because every time she had a moment with Tony, something had to come up and ruin it.
"I'm sure it'll clear up," Tony tried to calm her down.
"That's why you have to come back," Tim said.
"We'll set off as soon as the storm ends. Keep us posted. Oh, and say hello to the lovely Delilah," Tony grinned and hung up. "So, it looks like I won't get to see you in a bikini any time soon," he looked at Ziva.
"I would rather you saw me in a bikini than in an orange jumpsuit," she sighed and came to the window. "How long does it usually rain here?"
"Last time I was here, it rained for four days, but that was in October."
"Great. We should get going when the storm subsides, which should be, judging from the pause between lightning and thunder in about three hours."
"Mossad skills?"
"Actually, no. My father taught me that when I was a little girl. I was scared of storms and I could not sleep when there was one, so he made it a game for me to count between lighting and thunders to see how far from me the storm was. I usually got so tired of counting I fell asleep," she smiled, looking out the window in at the rain.
"When did you stop being scared of storms?"
She bit her lip and turned around. "When I discovered that there are worse things to be scared of. You grow up very fast in Israel, especially in a family like mine."
"Well, in my family, one never grows up," he tried to make her smile, and he succeeded. "Although, my childhood wasn't the best either."
"On the plane, you said you spent some time here as a little boy," she reminded him.
"I did, I, um, spent a few summers as a kid, back when my mom was...still here."
"It must have been great."
He nodded with a nostalgic smile on his face. "It was. We were one big, happy family back then. My dad and my mom were in love and everything was perfect. I remember that each night, my mom read me bedtime stories, and then they sat on the beach with my dad and they talked for hours. And it was here, actually, where I first played the piano. It was standing right there in the corner by the window."
"Your mother taught you?"
"At first, I would just listen to her playing, but then I wanted to try it myself, so we spent hours here. I tried so hard to make her proud... And the fact is I never stopped."
Ziva felt a sudden need to hug him; that's how touched she was by his words. It was the first time he had opened up to her about his mother.
"I am sure she would be very proud of you, Tony."
"I'm sure she would ship us as much as my dad," he laughed to lighten up the atmosphere; it was getting too nostalgic. There was trouble waiting for them in DC and they really needed to have some fun before facing it.
"Ship us where?"
"No, ship us - like she'd think we would make a nice couple."
"Oh, I see. In that case, I think Judy from accounting ships us too."
"Isn't she the one who was spreading rumours about us?"
Ziva nodded. "I took care of that."
"She still has both her arms, right?"
"I did not harm her, Tony, do not worry. If I had to harm everyone who spreads rumours about me sleeping with you, I would have to beat up half of the NCIS staff, including McGee."
"Yeah, I think it's safe to say he's our biggest shipper. I still can't get over the fact that he imagined the two of us having sex on the beach and then actually wrote about it."
"Do not forget the fact that Gibbs has read it."
The two exchanged awkward looks and then burst out laughing.
...
Eight hours later, they were both already asleep on the plane to DC, not really knowing what is waiting for them at home. However, they were too tired to worry. When they landed, Tony went to get their suitcases while Ziva got them coffee and breakfast. On the way to the Navy Yard, they called McGee to let Vance know they were coming. It was weird to be a visitor in a place they both considered their home.
"This is an unfortunate situation," Vance started once they had entered his office. McGee was already there, looking even more tired than them. Tony sat next to him, but Ziva started to pace back and forth.
"This is ridiculous. There are hundreds of people who wanted Parsons dead," she said grimly.
"That is true; however, his last case was Gibbs. But Gibbs is now on a top secret mission, to which he was appointed by the SECNAV, therefore no one even thinks of suspecting him of killing Parsons. You helped to clear him, but now it's you who's in trouble."
"I'm okay with talking to the feds," McGee said. "I have nothing to hide."
"Good. Miss David, could you please sit down?" Vance asked her, because he started to feel uncomfortable with her walking around his office like a tiger in a cage. She sat down, opposite Tony, and it was obvious she was nervous.
"Parsons was shot at two in the morning the day after you resigned. It was a shot from a fairly close distance."
"I bet McGee's got solid alibi," Tony mumbled and smirked at Tim.
"How solid is your alibi, Miss David?" Vance turned to Ziva.
"I was at home."
"Was there anyone with you, who could confirm it?"
Tony stopped teasing Tim and looked at Ziva, suddenly paying attention, partly because he was curious to know if she was seeing anyone, partly because not having a solid alibi could mean more trouble for her.
"I was alone."
"DiNozzo?" Vance turned at Tony, who gave him a confused look.
"I wasn't with her," he shrugged.
"I meant what is your alibi."
"Oh, that. Um, I was at home, watching movies, drinking beer, I guess."
"You guess? There are ten agents from numerous agencies waiting to interrogate you and make you confess, and you guess?"
"I didn't kill him, director. Close-range shots aren't my style."
"That doesn't matter. They want to find someone to blame for it and they've decided it will be one of you. Now if we work as a team and help each other, no harm has to be done either to you or the agency."
Ziva was unusually quiet. She was looking at a scratch on the table and she looked worried. Something was not right.
...
A few minutes later, two feds came in and took Tony, Ziva and Tim downstairs. While Ziva was put in the interrogation room, Tony and Tim were guarded in the back room, looking through the mirror.
"Why are you interrogating us here?" Ziva asked. "We don't work here anymore."
"I'm aware of that. We have our reasons. Tell me, Miss David, do you miss your job here at NCIS?"
"What do you think?"
"Answer my question, please."
"Yes, I do miss it."
"Is it true that Richard Parsons found some things about you that could ruin your career at NCIS?"
"All he had was a bunch of assumptions."
"But he managed to make you angry by bringing those assumptions up, didn't he?"
"He made me feel uncomfortable, but none of his hypotheses were true."
"Miss David, let me tell you why you're a suspect in this murder investigation. You resigned to save your boss from imprisonment, but Parsons was still after you and your friends. That's the motive. You are more than capable of operating the gun Richard Parsons was killed with, and you are a trained assassin. Also, not long after the murder, you left DC."
"I came back," she reminded him firmly.
"Where were you on the sixteenth of May between 1 and 2 am?"
"I was at home. Alone."
"So you have no one to confirm your alibi." It was more of a statement than a question. She saw it in his eyes; he had already decided she's quilty. "It doesn't look good for you."
"I did not kill him," she slightly raised her voice.
"Miss David, I've read and heard a lot about you, I know the past year hasn't been your best, you lost your father, and then you almost lost the only father figure you had left. Then there's the thing with Ilan Bodnar, and you leaving your job. I understand you were in a tough position, so I am willing to offer you a deal. Tell me the truth, did you kill Richard Parsons?"
"No, I did not."
"Do you have any information on who might have done it?"
"No, I do not."
"Miss David, we are both professionals, right? I am not going to intimidate you; I simply want to hear what you know. And I'm sure you know more than you're telling me."
"I did not kill Parsons."
"But you wanted him dead."
"Many people wanted him dead."
"Because he dug some dirt on them, is that correct?"
"He was blackmailing prominent people to get a promotion."
"And you couldn't watch him doing it. You couldn't let him arrest Gibbs and destroy everything you had left, am I right? So you took a gun and you went to his house. You did it for Gibbs, and for your friends. You did it, because you were trained to handle things like this."
She didn't say anything.
Tony was looking at her through the mirror and he began to feel nervous. Eight years ago, Ziva wouldn't think twice before putting a bullet in Parsons' head and she would probably get away with it, thanks to her training and the fact her father was the head of Mossad. But this was a different Ziva, an American citizen, a delicate woman, capable of being emotional. And right now, she was a broken woman, an orphan, and she was emotionally exhausted. Eight years ago, he would suspect her, but now, even though everything the detective said made sense, Tony didn't believe she had done it, not even for a second. However, the jury might believe it.
"I am going to ask you for the last time, Miss David. Did you kill Richard Parsons?"
"No."
"Then who did?" the detective was slowly losing his patience.
Suddenly, the door opened. "I did."
"Tony?" Ziva's jaw dropped when she saw him standing there, determined, without a sign of fear on his face, confessing to a murder.
What you can expect in the next chapter:
- angry Ziva,
- Gibbs' reaction,
- an unexpected guest.
Thank you for taking the time to read my stuff and please, if you have any comments/suggestions/requests, let me know!
Have a beautiful day :)